Wednesday, April 14, 2010

The Clowns At The American Biglaw Association Are At It Again

As if profits per partner weren't high enough last year, it looks like the ABA is about to come out with another one of their award winning outsourcing decisions. To all you out of work lawyers scounging around in garbage cans looking for food, relief is certainly NOT on the way. Carolyn Lamm's kangaroo commission is seeking input before they rubber stamp another employment sapping "ethics" mandate.

"YOUR COMMENTS SOUGHTMAY 7, 2010 DEADLINE

The ABA Commission on Ethics 20/20 is studying the ethical and professional regulatory implications of legal process outsourcing in a domestic and international context. The Commission is reviewing the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, existing ethics opinions and other literature and studies about this topic. The Commission is also interested in gathering information about domestic and international legal process outsourcing from lawyers, law firms, clients and outsourcing providers, and developed the following questions to do so. We look forward to hearing from you. Please do not feel constrained to limit your responses to the information sought by these questions. We are interested in receiving whatever information you feel is relevant. Please e-mail your responses by May 7, 2010 to Senior Research Paralegal Natalia Vera at veran@staff.abanet.org"

37 comments:

Why do I get the impression this is a big effort to whitewash the existing pro-outsourcing rules?

In the U.K. the Law Society did reverse itself and stop QLTT admissions for foreigners but they have much more sense (and pressure from their members) than the ABA.

The ABA might just as well be working for the Indian government.

The ABA is a failed organization.I have never ever been helped by them, only hurt by things like outsourcing, and they fuck over their own members except the big law firm partners like Carol Lamm who run the show.

Watch this so-called "study" will be run with the transparency of a Hitler commission.

FROM THE DESK MR. LAMIDO SANUSIEXECUTIVE GOVERNOR,CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN)OUR REF: CBN/OHG/OXD1/2009YOUR REF:……………..TELEX: CENBANK. PAYMENT FILE: CBN/BEN/09. Attn: Beneficiary, CBN DEBT PAYMENT NOTICE OF YOUR FUNDS My name is Lamido Sanusi the Executive Governor Of The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Executive Chairman of “E.C.D.R”. I discovered that your name and email address (in the Central Computer among the list of unpaid contractors, inheritance next of kin and lotto beneficiaries that was originated from Africa ( Nigerian Government) , Europe, Asia Plus Middle east, Americans) among the list of individuals and companies that your unpaid fund has been located to a suspense account. Your name appeared among the beneficiaries who will receive a part-paymentof $9.million (Nine Million Dollars) and has been approved already for Payment. yesterday two foreigners (Mr. Tim Parker and Mr. Rowland Gulf) visited my office in your stead to inform me that they are your Representatives from United State, whom you send to collecting your Funds for you. We in this Bank do not understand why you sent these men to come and Collect your Funds on your behalf. If actually you want them to help you Collectyour Inheritance Bill Sum, at least you should have informed me as the Executive Governor of this Bank. They actually tendered some Vital Documents which Proved that you actually sent them for the Collection of this Funds. Honestly, it really baffles me that you took such decision without my consent. Here are the Document which they tender to this Bank today: 1. LETTER OF ADMINISTRATION.2. HIGH COURT INDUCTION.3. ORDER TO RELEASE. Actually, these Documents which they tendered to this Noble Bank is a clearProof that you sent them to Collect this Funds for you. Finally,I told them to come back tomorrow morning and they promised to come back. As the Governor of this Noble Bank, I was supposed to Release this Funds to them but I refused to do so because I wanted to hear from you first. Due to the nature of my job, I will not want to make any mistake in Releasing this Funds to anyone except you whom is the Recognized Bonafide Beneficiary to this Funds. Kindly clarify us on this issue before we make this Payment to these for foreigner whom came on your behalf. In receipt of this confidential Letter,you are required to call this Bank immediately you receive this Confidential Letter. OFFICIALLY SIGNED.LAMIDO SANUSIGOVERNOR CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA.

December 16, 2009 11:30 AMIndia Shuts Its Doors on Foreign FirmsPosted by Zach LoweOne of India's highest courts has banned foreign law firms from all forms of practice in India, a major victory for a trade group of Indian lawyers and a defeat for firms that opened liaison offices in India during a brief window in the 1990s, according to the blog Legally India.Representatives of the three firms immediately affected by the ruling--Ashurst, White & Case, and Chadbourne & Parke--have confirmed the nature of the decision and said they are reviewing its implications, according to Legally India and media contacts at two firms that we contacted early Wednesday. Only Ashurst still has an open liaison office in India, and the firm's Web site specifies that the office does not provide legal advice. White & Case conducts much of its India practice from offices in Singapore, a spokesman tells us.The Bombay High Court's ruling quashes the optimism some legal observers felt in May, when India's voters reelected Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a proponent of liberalizing the country's economy. Foreign law firms have been banned in India since a 1995 high court ruling that closed the brief window during which the three firms named above opened their liaison offices. As we reported in June, several major firms have gotten around the ban by striking alliances with Indian firms under which they refer business to each other. Linklaters, Allen & Overy, and Clifford Chance are among the firms who have struck such deals. One interesting note from today's ruling: According to Legally India, the high court ruled that the practice of law encompasses just about everything a law firm might do. Lawyers arguing for the international firms said the ban on the practice of law should apply only to litigation and not to M&A advice and other out-of-court work.

Caroyln Lamm is a scoundrel - end of story. She has NO shame, no morals, and would step on her own mother - if it would put another dime in her pocket.

The American Bar Association is a racketeer influenced and corrupt organization. This panel will simply do what it is told to do, i.e. it will affirm and solidify ABA "Ethics" Opinion 08-451. Perhaps, it will expand outsourcing and off-shoring of the legal industry.

Maybe these cockroaches will allow foreign lawyer, non-lawyers and janitors to make court appearances via satellite ; small law stuff, of course. I mean, why allow TTT graduates to "corner the market" on dogbites, slip 'n falls, etc.? Toiletlawyers are now doing these cases for $250-$450. Surely, Biglaw can undercut these prices further by hiring foreigners.

Why stop at merely outsourcing shitlaw jobs? The overlords of BigLaw are no more fond of their "worthless" overpaid flunkies than the slumlords of shitlaw are of contract attorneys and $10 per hour associates.

In the linked article, the ABA has even developed a list of model questions for this rubber stamp committee.

http://www.abanet.org/ethics2020/comments.pdf

This is your chance to speak up, so everyone should be sending in their best arguments why their policy is so disastrous.

The main problem with the ABA is their arrogance. They think they are the pre-eminent legal organization in the world. As such a group, these liberal wanna bee do gooders think they can give so much to the rest of the world, because they are so powerful.

What they don't realize is that their own people, barred and licensed American attorneys should come before the largesse to the foreign powers.

These dolts are being controlled by general counsels office of the large corporations who are already outsourcing, so the ABA has no choice but to rubberstamp it.

No way, no how will they EVER represent TTT solos and contract attorneys. They would rather get a warm fuzzy by sending the work overseas and helping a poor Indian attorney find work.

Meanwhile, Indian attorneys are having foreign competition tosseed out.

The ABA is missing the mark in serving its memebers and the larger American attorney population. They are a laughingstock, rubber stamp organization for the biggest, most powerful multinational corprations and little else.

Instead of just outsourcing our legal work to India, let's outsource the entire American Bar Association to India, so it can be closer to its true constituency. Then let's outsource our law schools and bar exams to India as well. That would be most efficient.

President Barack Obama has signed a bill extending unemployment benefits through June 2 and restoring full Medicaid payments to doctors.

The bill cleared both houses of Congress on Thursday night. The House passed the bill 289-112 just two hours after it emerged from the Senate on a 59-38 vote that capped an unusually partisan debate.

Republicans largely chose to take a stand against the legislation for adding to the $12.8 trillion national despite backing it by wide margins in December and again recently.

People who lost out on the additional weeks of benefits after exhausting their state-paid benefits will now be able to reapply and receive those checks retroactively

"It increases the deficit by $18 billion, a cost to be paid for by future generations," said Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Kan. "This legislation is yet another unfortunate example of business as usual in our nation's capital."

But the vote comes as welcome relief to hundreds of thousands of people who lost out on the additional weeks of benefits after exhausting their state-paid benefits. They will be able to reapply for long-term unemployment benefits and receive those checks retroactively under the legislation.

Obama thanked Congress for passing the temporary jobless benefits extension, saying it was critical to help struggling families make ends meet.

"Millions of Americans who lost their jobs in this economic crisis depend on unemployment and health insurance benefits to get by as they look for work and get themselves back on their feet," Obama said in a statement. "But as I requested in my budget, I urge Congress to move quickly to extend these benefits through the end of this year."

Several other popular programs had also expired, including federal flood insurance, higher Medicare payment rates for doctors and generous health insurance subsidies for people who have lost their jobs.

The situation became more urgent Thursday afternoon when Medicare announced that it would start paying doctors' claims at a 21 percent lower rate. That won't be necessary now.

Thursday's measure provides up to 99 weekly unemployment checks averaging $335 to people whose 26 weeks of state-paid benefits have run out. It's a temporary extension through June 2 that gives House and Senate Democrats time to iron out a measure to fund the program through the end of the year.

Fewer than 1 in 3 House Republicans voted for the measure. Just three Senate Republicans did. The sole Democrat to oppose it was longtime budget hawk Rep. Jim Cooper of Tennessee.

The bill also extends a program created under last year's economic stimulus bill that gives unemployed people a 65 percent subsidy on health care premiums under the so-called COBRA program.

On successive votes earlier in the day, Democrats narrowly turned back two amendments by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., that would have paid for the measure over time by cutting spending and raising almost $10 billion in revenues with a variety of Democratic-backed ideas to tighten the tax code. One of Coburn's amendments was killed by a 50-48 vote.

The topic of providing additional weeks of jobless benefits in the midst of bad times had been regarded as routine. But with conservative voters and tea party activists up in arms about the deficit, conservative Senate Republicans upset about the deficit have twice caused interruptions of jobless benefits and other programs.

In February, Jim Bunning, R-Ky., single-handedly blocked an extension of unemployment benefits in an unsuccessful bid to force Democrats to pay for them. The measure passed on a 78-19 vote after Republicans were smacked by a public relations backlash.

But many Republicans believe it was a stand worth taking, including Coburn, who blocked a vote last month on another short-term extension.

By the time Senators returned from a two-week recess on Monday, only four Republicans — Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, Scott Brown of Massachusetts and George Voinovich of Ohio — voted with Democrats to defeat a GOP filibuster of the bill. Only Voinovich, Collins and Snowe voted for the bill on Thursday.

Democrats said it was the wrong topic for Republicans to take a stand on the deficit after voting for tax cuts, wars and a new Medicare drug benefit without paying for them.

"They seem to have discovered fiscal responsibility when it comes time to extend unemployment benefits but not when it came to paying for tax cuts for the rich and the Iraq war," said Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich.

Twenty-one Senate Republicans voted for the earlier extension last month and House GOP leaders opted against even forcing a vote. But Thursday's vote came after senators spent two weeks among their constituents — and as thousands of tea party activists came to Washington to protest on deadline day for filing taxes.

"I think people spent two weeks out listening to people about spending and debt," Coburn said.

The House has twice this year approved short-term extensions of jobless benefits and other expired programs.

The various programs in the longer-term legislation represent much of the Democrats' remaining agenda on job creation. One of the reasons the short-term legislation was needed is that House and Senate Democrats are having difficulty resolving their differences on how to pay for a package of expired tax breaks for individuals and businesses.

Other elements of the jobs agenda such as cash to build roads and schools and help local governments keep teachers on the payroll, remain on the shelf for a lack of money to pay for them.

Democrats said deficit-financed jobless benefits not only needed to help people unable to find work but that they are one of the most effective ways to pump up the still-struggling economy.

It's just a whitewash to shut all you frustrated types. Time-tested strategy. Act like you really want someone's input and secretly stomp on it. Like we really care what you poor fucks care. It's just so you don't storm the Bastille..er. law firms. Keep filling out the forms sonny boys...they will go straight to the shredder....pip, pip and cheerio

Note Carol Lamm's White & Case doing offshore business in India.They need to get a return for her nonbillable time as head of the ABA, same as Tim Geithner will get when he becomes the future chairman of Goldman Sachs.

C'mon guys! We love that you temps want to be heard. But face it, the ABA is for REAL lawyers. Real lawyers are tough guys like me. I didn't have it handed it to me, really. Everything I got and I grabbed for myself. It hasn't been easy.

I mean my Mother was a psychologist and my father owned a shoe store on long island. Life wasn't always easy. Going to temple, summer camp, winter vacations in Boca. We even had our own country clubs!

Of course I never was stupid enough to come out of law school with debt. I started making money from day one in biglaw. I knew the rules. Where it wasn't working, I just cheated and lied to make it work.

You pansies just gotta think outside the box! You are sittin' around waiting for someone to throw you a bone. They will never, ever do it in the law.

You pathetic, know nothing temps really have not had it as badly as me. You are such whiny losers.

I would never want someone like you workin' for me. Get it?

Now get outta my way, I gotta call this Lamm chick and give her a piece of my mind. I really can't wait to outsource all of this doc review shit. Now that the cat is out of the bag on the doc review scam, time to get that shit outta here.

We are really tired of having those loser temps wondering around our offices. They are so declasse! Our offices are real classy, except for these low rent temps.

The ABA is full of old ugly people. Maybe if they hired some hot young blood I would bother attending their stupid functions and filling their even stupider forms. Just a bunch of dried out old self-aggrandizing crocodiles. Stuff a sock in it you old bags.

"White & Case's involvement in India-related business reaches back several decades, but in the past several years India's economic renaissance has significantly increased the flow of capital markets, inbound and outbound M&A, alternative investment fund, business process outsourcing, project finance and other work to the Firm. "White & Case News

Now we know the reason for the timing of this "study" - the ABA is trying to create reciprocity with India after the India Supreme Court ruling against White & Case and others:March 2010 Am Law Daily:"Foreign lawyers should only be allowed to work in India, the writ argues, if there is strict reciprocity for Indian lawyers to practice in the U.S. or U.K.Among the 30 firms named in the writ are leading global firms like Shearman & Sterling, Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, and White & Case. But the list is far from exhaustive and many major international firms with active India practices were not included."

A lot has changed since the article was written. The legal process outsourcing industry has indeed revolutionized the way law is now being practiced in the West, especially America. The good news is that even the big law firms are embracing (or being forced to embrace) legal outsourcing. Companies like SDD Global ( http://www.sddglobal.com ) are helping U.S. attorneys and law firms increase their productivity, profits, and efficiency by being their extended arm in India.